January 07, 2007

Apple Says: Download Every Depeche Mode Song Ever

Apple hates me. They want to bankrupt me and my family. That's all I can figure after finding I've been targeted with their latest digital box set featuring Depeche Mode, the band I grew up listening to in the 1990s, the band I've seen in concert twice, and the band which currently occupies the #1 position in my iTunes history, both on Last.fm and MusicMobs.

Due to the fact I've purchased Depeche Mode songs from the iTunes Music Store over the last three years on more than one occasion, I received a special e-mail inviting me to know about their exclusive digital box set, The Complete Depeche Mode.

This is no ordinary box set. Apple says it has 644 tracks, including "over 60 remixes, live recordings, and other rarities you can't get anywhere else"... all for the low, low price of $169.99. How could I resist, when it's so easy to hit the magic button that says "Buy Album"? Just one click, and my little hard drive is sure to fill up with gigabyte after gigabyte of old Depeche Mode songs that I no doubt already have - or had on cassette tapes before they were mercifully antiquated.

It's like offering heroin to an addict who's just left the rehab clinic. They know they shouldn't, they know they don't need it, but wouldn't it sure feel good? So far, we're not buying. But I haven't yet deleted the e-mail, and maybe I'll find a good reason to hit "Buy Now". After all, how can I be happy with the mere 148 songs and 13.5 hours of Depeche Mode I already have in my iTunes when I could quintuple it immediately?